A new study shows that consuming more dietary protein than the recommended daily intake triggers signals at the cellular level that negatively impact cardiovascular and metabolic health.

A high-protein diet is often promoted as part of a healthy lifestyle, and many diets encourage consumers to prioritize protein and reduce carbohydrates and fat to lose weight and gain lean muscle. doing.

for studying at natural metabolismBettina Mittendorfer, senior associate dean and director of the NextGen Precision Health Clinical and Translational Science Unit at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, and colleagues found that the general advice to promote health is to increase the proportion of protein. discovered. Although daily calorie intake is beneficial, consuming too much protein not only does not promote the development of lean muscle, but can also cause unintended negative health effects.

“Consumers are led to believe that they cannot get too much protein in their diets. Even various foods and drinks are rich in protein and are promoted as a way to increase the proportion of protein in the diet. Mittendorfer says.

“However, our study shows that certain amino acids, which are building blocks of proteins, can cause cardiovascular disease through signaling mechanisms at the cellular level in the blood.”

Amino acids found in animal protein foods such as beef, eggs, and milk have been found to be involved in the signaling activity of macrophage cells, which normally clear debris from blood vessels. Increased dietary protein intake also increases the consumption of leucine, a specific amino acid involved in triggering this cellular activity of macrophages in the blood.

When functioning properly, these macrophage cells work to keep plaque from building up in blood vessels. When they are produced in excess, spent cells can accumulate within the vascular system, causing plaque buildup and blockages that should be prevented. The resulting atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

“Not getting enough protein in your diet can be detrimental to your health, but getting too much protein can also be detrimental to your health through this macrophage signaling mechanism,” Mittendorfer says. “Our hope is to ultimately find a Goldilocks approach that maximizes the health benefits of dietary protein, such as building lean muscle, while avoiding the health disadvantages of overconsumption. is.”

The researchers found that if you get more than 22% of your daily calories from protein, the downside risks outweigh the dietary benefits. For the average adult, 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal or 60 to 90 grams of protein per day is adequate to maintain good health.

The study combined small-scale human experiments with experiments on mice and cells.

Additional co-authors are from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and the University of Toronto.

Source: University of Missouri